--- title: "NFIB's Small Business Optimism Index Down Again in April" url: https://burnaze.com/article/4f2f7709-4b07-4eac-9aa4-b4bf7c1eddd9 source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/nfibs_small_business_optimism_index_down_again_in_april.html author: "Kerry Pipes" category: "Regulation" topics: ["Regulation & legal"] published: 2023-05-23T08:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T20:05:40.527Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/7641_plate.jpg --- # NFIB's Small Business Optimism Index Down Again in April **TL;DR:** The NFIB's Small Business Optimism Index dropped 1.1 points in April to 89, marking the 16th consecutive month below the survey's 49-year history. Labor quality and inflation were the top concerns for small businesses, with 24% and 23% of owners citing them as their biggest problems. *By Kerry Pipes, originally published in Franchising.com on 2023-05-23. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/nfibs_small_business_optimism_index_down_again_in_april.html).* ## Story Labor quality and inflation helped drive down NFIB’s Optimism Index once again. The Index dropped 1.1 points in April to 89, marking the 16th consecutive month below the survey’s 49-year history of 98. “Optimism is not improving on Main Street as more owners struggle with finding qualified workers for their open positions,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Inflation remains a top concern for small businesses but is showing signs of easing.” Labor quality was the top business problem at 24%, followed by inflation at 23%. Other key findings from the April report: -The frequency of reports of positive profit trends was a net negative 23%, five points worse than March. -A net negative 5% of owners viewed current inventory stocks as “too low” in April, down six points from March. This suggests stocks are now too large relative to expected sales. -The net percent of owners raising average selling prices decreased four points to a net 33% (seasonally adjusted). -The net percent of owners who expect real sales to be higher deteriorated four points from March to a net negative 19%. - Get Started in Franchising - Franchise Rankings & Awards - Franchise Sales & Development - Featured Franchise Stories Franchising.com is produced by Franchise Update Media. Franchise Update Media has its finger on the pulse of franchising with unrivalled audience intelligence and market driven data. No media company understands the franchise landscape deeper than Franchise Update Media. 1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 300A Washington, DC 20005 PH. (408) 402-5681 - Franchisee Financing & Lending - Site Selection & Real Estate - Supply Chain & Procurement - Annual Franchise Development Report - Multi-Unit Franchising Conference - Franchise Growth & Marketing Conference - Franchise Leadership & Development Conference - Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine - Franchise Update Magazine - Franchise Update Franchisor Report - Franchising Express Report - International Franchise Report - Multi-Unit Franchisee Report The multi-unit franchise opportunities listed above are not related to or endorsed by Multi-Unit Franchisee or Franchise Update Media Group. We are not engaged in, supporting, or endorsing any specific franchise, business opportunity, company or individual. No statement in this site is to be construed as a recommendation. We encourage prospective franchise buyers to perform extensive due diligence when considering a franchise opportunity. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - Kerry Pipes (person) - Regulation (sector) - inflation (topic) - small business optimism (topic) - labor quality (topic) - NFIB (company) - Bill Dunkelberg (person) --- Originally reported by Kerry Pipes, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/nfibs_small_business_optimism_index_down_again_in_april.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/4f2f7709-4b07-4eac-9aa4-b4bf7c1eddd9).